The Haunting Past (Part 1 of Romanov Line series)
by MistressLoki1618
Summary: Anastasia Romanov fell in love with a man when she was human. When he saves her life, she realizes that he isn't human and that he has ruined her family. She has some very rough decisions to make concerning her future.
1. Tall, Dark, & Handsome (Minus the Dark)

Anastasia ran around the palace chasing after Dimitri. He was her lifetime friend and they had become more than that as time had went. She still held the secret of their rendezvous that had led to her present condition. She knew her parents would not be happy about what she had done, but if they wanted to keep everything proper, then they would allow her to marry him. He was a servant in the palace though so that made him highly unsuitable for their daughter who was Duchess of Russia. She loved him though, very much, which is why she was now carrying his child. She was terrified to tell her parents considering she was unmarried, she was a Duchess and she was only seventeen.

Dimitri called after her, "Ana, are you alright?"

Anastasia nodded as she smiled at him. He didn't know yet and she didn't want to tell him. Dimitri said, "Your parents want you to dress for the ball tonight. And hurry because guests are already arriving."

Anastasia nodded again as he kissed her on the cheek and left the room. She put on the dark blue gown her mother had picked out for her. Her hair was up in her diamond crown. She loved these dances because she got to dance until her hearts content, the only regret she ever had was not being able to dance with Dimitri.

She walked down the stairs and her mother was there waiting for her, "What took you so long, Ana? We cannot keep the guests waiting. Come on, its introduction time."

The herald at the bottom of the stairs called out her name, "The Grand Duchess Anastasia."

Anastasia slowly descended the long staircase, but as she stepped down, her eyes met a stranger's in the crowd. His blue eyes kept her mesmerized as she watched him. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, he met her there with his hand outstretched to her, "Can I have the first dance?"

She noticed the hint of an accent in his voice, "Yes sir, you may. If you tell me your name."

He bowed to her, "I am Lord Niklaus Mikaelson."

Anastasia bowed back to him, "And where do you hail from, my lord? I do detect a slight accent in your voice."

He smirked at her, "You are right, my lady. I hail from England. I came here for a visit with my siblings."

Anastasia took his hand, "Very well. We may dance."

He led her onto the ballroom floor as he danced so sophisticatedly with her and she giggled at him. He was an amazing dancer and a very charming man. She couldn't help but feel herself swoon in his presence. The dance ended much too soon for Anastasia's liking and he released her. She still stood beside him as he was about to ask her to dance again when another person joined them. The man that walked up had dark features with deep chocolate brown eyes, "Who is this lovely creature, Nik?"

Anastasia smiled at the man, "Is this one of your siblings, Lord Niklaus?"

She watched his expression change as he seemed strained to introduce this man to her. Niklaus growled, "Walk away."

The man shook his head, "Not before I meet this lovely thing."

Anastasia could sense the rivalry between the two so she held out her hand, "I am Anastasia. And you are?"

The man's smirk slowly slide across his face as he took her hand and pressed a kiss to the top of it, "I am Kol Mikaelson, Lord Niklaus' younger brother."

Anastasia said, "It is very nice to meet you sir."

Kol asked, "Would you care to dance, Anastasia?"

Anastasia took his hand, "I would love to."

She watched him smirk at his brother as he led her out to dance. He danced her around the floor and he whispered, "I think my brother fancies you darling."

Anastasia pulled back, "That isn't appropriate to say to me sir."

He stared at her for a moment, "You don't seem like one for propriety."

Anastasia pulled away from him and stomped away. She was standing in the hallway off the ballroom as she tried to regain her composure so she could go back inside. Dimitri saw her in the hall, "Ana, are you alright?"

Anastasia nodded, "Yes, Dimitri. I just needed a bit of time to myself."

Dimitri said, "Go back inside. It isn't safe out here by yourself."

Anastasia walked back into the ball and bumped into someone as she started to walk back to her chair on the steps of the ballroom. She apologized instantly, "I am so sorry sir." Her tears were about to fall and the man asked, "Are you alright?"

She nodded but didn't say anything. He said, "I don't think you are alright princess. What has upset you so?"

Anastasia had no idea why she decided to tell this stranger anything but she did, "This man told me I wasn't proper. It just hurt a bit I suppose. I'm not entirely sure why I am so upset about it."

The man smirked, "I can almost guarantee it was my baby brother, Kol."

Anastasia started to laugh, "How did you know that?"

The man said, "My brother doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. I am sorry he upset you. Go ahead to your seat. Don't think about what he said."

Anastasia started to walk away but then turned back, "I didn't catch your name sir."

He smiled as he took her hand and kissed the top of it, "Elijah Mikaelson. I'm the eldest. It was quite pleasant to meet you, Anastasia."

Anastasia walked up to her seat as her mind drifted to the strange family. She thought the oldest one was quite nice. The younger one just creeped her out slightly and the middle one was handsome. She wished she could speak with him some more but the look on her mother's face as she approached her seat said she would be sitting in the chair and explaining herself the rest of the night. She sighed as she went up the steps and sat down in her seat. Her mother immediately began her tirade and Anastasia tried to not listen. She was emotional enough at the moment; she didn't need to add her mother's disapproval to it. She looked up and met the eyes of Niklaus again, and she couldn't look away. She was in trouble with this one.


	2. The Accident

The family had decided to take a trip to visit relatives in the northern part of Russia. And they always had to do it with flare because they were royalty so that's how Anastasia ended up in the carriage with her sisters. She knew the real reason behind it was to hide her current situation. She had grown bored a long time ago and it didn't seem like the mood would improve any. Her mother had chastised her all night on the day of the ball. That had been weeks ago. She had finally had to tell her parents about her predicament because she was starting to show. To say they were unhappy would be saying the least. Her mother had pitched an unholy fit, wanting her to give up the child and pretend it didn't happen. Her father was the complete opposite though. He refused to give the child away. He said the baby would be a royal and that would be the end of it.

Her mother had also been interested in the stranger that had danced with her daughter. He was a Lord after all, which made him more than worthy in her parent's eyes. Anastasia didn't know if she was happy that her mother approved of Niklaus or if she was sad that she didn't approve of Dimitri. Even after she had told them that he was the father of her child. Her mother still only cared about the titles of the men that her daughters met, but that's not how Anastasia was. She wanted to be with someone because she loved him, not because she was forced into a marriage of convenience. She couldn't deny that Lord Niklaus was very handsome and very kind though. It wouldn't necessarily kill her to be married to such a man.

It was nighttime and the moon was sitting bright and full in the sky. She heard the wolves howling to the large moon and then something outside had spooked the horses and the whole carriage toppled. She assumed it had been the wolves. Everything went black after that.

She woke up all squished and hurting in the upside down carriage. Her sisters were unconscious next to her. Anastasia felt blood on her face and she gently pressed her hand to the spot and pulled it away with blood covering her hand. She had a very nasty wound. She could barely hear voices outside the carriage, so she called out to them, hoping it was her father, "Father?"

The next thing she knew the door of the carriage was being ripped off and someone lifted her out. She looked up into the eyes of Lord Niklaus, "What are you…?"

He silenced her, "Sssh, you're hurt pretty badly. Let me fix you."

Anastasia nodded, barely able and he set her down on the ground. She watched him slice his wrist and put it towards her mouth. She shoved it away, "What are you doing?"

He said, "Just drink it." He didn't give her a chance to fight it again and she felt the warm liquid touch her lips. She felt her wounds slowly began to heal, "My family?"

He whispered, "They are fine. And you will be too."

He set her against the broken carriage and she didn't see them. She heard the screams of the soldiers that had come with them though. She stood up carefully as she glanced over the carriage to see what they were doing to them She saw they had their faces against their necks. When they were done, they dropped the body to the ground and she saw the blood smearing their faces. They weren't human. She couldn't help but gasp and suddenly Niklaus was in front of her, "Ana, you should be sitting down."

She shoved him away, "I know what you are. You aren't human. Did you do this to us? Get away from me!"

She saw pain cross his face and a girl with them said, "Just kill her Nik."

Anastasia cringed and cowered away from him and the others. He turned and yelled at her, "No! No one touches her."

She heard another voice, "Make her forget, Nik. She can't know our secret." She saw it was Elijah, the eldest one.

Niklaus sighed as he stared into her eyes, "You didn't see anything. You were in an accident and you were hurt, but you are alright now."

She nodded to his statements and then he was gone. Anastasia blinked rapidly as she looked around. There was an accident, she remembered that. She couldn't remember getting out of the carriage though or how her head wound had healed. She just hoped that her baby was safe still.

It took a little bit of time for the rest of her family to get up. Her father was the first to wake and he helped everyone else. Then he walked over and noticed all the dead men and he couldn't understand it. Anastasia stood beside him and looked at the strange wounds on the men's necks and she didn't understand what could have done it.

They had no choice but to return to the palace. Anastasia sat in her bed trying very hard to remember what had happened. She could remember the horses being spooked and the carriage going flying to the ground. She remembered waking up upside in the carriage with a nasty head wound. She remembered putting her hand against the blood, so then what had happened to it? Because it certainly wasn't there anymore. And how had she gotten out of the carriage? It had been upside down, she wouldn't have been able to pull herself out. Something was missing and she wanted to know why she couldn't remember it.

She curled up in her bed as she continued to think about it, then her mind drifted to her child. She put her hand against her stomach. If she had been hurt, had her child been hurt as well? And whatever had healed her, had it healed her baby? She was very worried that the baby had been harmed but she tried to push that thought away so she could actually get some sleep.


	3. New Generation of Royalty

As the weeks went by slowly, Anastasia's curiosity surrounding the carriage accident did not go away. She still didn't understand what had happened. She tried to put it out of her mind so she wouldn't stress the baby, but that was hard to do.

Dimitri finally found out about the child because she had decided to tell him. It had been a bad conversation. She approached him as he stood outside her door, waiting to escort her downstairs to her family. She said, "Dimitri, I have to tell you something."

He saw the pain in her eyes, "What is it Ana?"

She started to cry as she spoke, "I'm pregnant, Dimitri."

He gasped, "You are? That's wonderful."

He really looked happy but she knew her next words would crush any happiness he had, "My parents will let me keep the baby, but I can't be with you. I have to marry."

Dimitri's mouth fell, "They won't let you be with me? Won't let me have my child?"

He started to walk away but she tried to get him back, "Dimitri please!"

He shook his head as he walked away. She knew in that moment that she had lost him. Her only friend was now gone, all because of her family. She started to cry but her mother approached her, "Anastasia, you are supposed to be dressed and downstairs. We have guests."

Anastasia screamed, "I don't care mother!"

Her mother grabbed her arm roughly, "Go and get dressed or I will convince your father to be rid of your child."

Anastasia couldn't believe her mother had threatened her with such a thing, but she knew she meant it so she walked into her room to dress. Her mother had made her wear clothes that don't show that she was pregnant. Her mother didn't want anyone to know, not even the servants. When she came back out, her mother was still standing there waiting for her. She walked into their dining room and she saw Lord Niklaus. She smiled at him as she went to sit down in her spot between her sisters. Niklaus stared at her, "It's so good of you to join us, Anastasia."

Anastasia smiled back at him and then she looked at her parents, they were practically beaming. They thought they would be able to set her up with him because he certainly seemed interested in her. He never seemed to take his eyes off of her. Niklaus said, "I don't believe you have met my oldest brother and my little sister yet, Anastasia."

She spoke up, "I met your older brother already. Elijah, wasn't it? We met the night of the ball. I accidently ran into him."

Niklaus laughed, "You didn't tell me you had met the lovely Anastasia, Elijah."

Anastasia could see the rivalry between these two as well as when she saw it between Kol and Niklaus. She smiled at them, "Don't worry. If I may be forward, I like you the most."

Her mother scolded her, "Anastasia!"

She looked at the ground instantly, "Sorry mother."

She glanced up slightly to see a large grin on Niklaus' face at her words. She began to wonder if Niklaus would still want her once he found out she was pregnant. She pushed it out of her mind as they continued their conversation, "As I was saying, Anastasia, this is my younger sister, Rebekah."

Anastasia smiled at her, "It's very nice to meet you Rebekah, and your name is beautiful."

Rebekah didn't seem to like her much though because she smiled, but Anastasia could see it was fake. The dinner went on for a while and then it was time for them to leave. Niklaus kissed her hand as they left, "I will call on you again, Anastasia."

As soon as they were gone, her mother started on her, "If you could land him, we would be doing good. Especially considering your condition."

Anastasia just nodded to her mother's words.

* * *

A few weeks later, she gave birth. It was a long and tedious task. She screamed through the pain of it. It took hours for the baby to come out and when it did, they cleaned it and handed it to Anastasia.

Anastasia couldn't find the words as she stared down at her beautiful baby boy. He was so perfect and he looked so much like Dimitri. He had all dark features, instead of her light ones. She just sat there holding in her arms, but the more she did, the more she felt something was off. She could just sense something different in her child. She pushed the thought from her mind as she just securely held her child. She decided to name him after his father and he became Dimitri Romanov.

About a week later, there was uproars in the city. The soldiers were revolting. Her family began to fear for their lives. Anastasia made the decision to send her son with her grandmother, who was leaving to go back to her home in the northern part of Russia. It nearly broke her heart to do it but it had to be done. She had a dreadful feeling that something bad was going to happen. She wrote out a letter, telling lies she never wanted to tell. It was better than the truth though. She sent the letter with her son, telling her grandmother to give it to him when he is old enough. She cried as she watched them leave and she was left alone.

That night, when she walked into her room, Niklaus was sitting on her bed. She gasped, "How did you get in here?"

His voice sounded frantic and panicked, "That doesn't matter. I need you to drink this."

He threw her a bottle of a questionable red liquid, "What is it?"

He shook his head, "Don't ask questions. Just do it, every day. Please."

She shook her head, so he made her, "You will drink that right now. And every night following. And you won't remember that I was here."

She nodded to his words and then he was gone. She stared at the liquid as she drank some of it. It tasted horrible and foul, and it had an odd consistency. It looked like blood. She couldn't stop herself from drinking it though, which scared her even more.


	4. Death of a Duchess

Anastasia continued to drink the blood every day, just a small sip. It had been two days since she had started doing it. She heard panic in the palace and she ran to her door to look but her sister pushed her way inside and slammed it closed. Her sister was in tears, "Ana, the soldiers are attacking. We have to get out of here."

Anastasia was terrified, she wasn't ready to die, wasn't ready to leave her son. Her sister and her snuck out of her room and ran down the hall, trying to find a place to hide so no one would find them. Dimitri found them in the hall, "Come on. We have to get you two out of here."

They followed behind him but then they heard the gun go off. Anastasia covered her mouth as she saw Dimitri fall to the ground. They turned to run the other way but that's when she felt it. A bullet went into her back and she hit the ground. She could see her blood all around her and she glanced over to her sister, but she was already gone. Dimitri lay not far from her and he gasped for breath, "Ana….I…am….sorry."

Tears fell down her face as the blood pumped out of the wound, "I love you, Dimitri."

He tried to reach his hand towards hers, "And….I….love….you."

She watched his hand stop trying to stretch and she knew he was gone too. She lay there as she thought about her short life, she wasn't ready to die yet, but she didn't have a choice. She felt herself slowly fade and then her eyes closed for forever….or so she thought.

She woke up with a gasp a bit later and she stared at her surroundings. She was still in the spot where she had died, but how was she up? She couldn't stop the tears that fell as she sat perched next to Dimitri and her sister's body. One of the soldiers must have heard her sobs because he came around the corner. When he saw her, he aimed his gun but she sped towards him, "I wouldn't do that."

The man stood scared and she looked behind her and realized she had reached him in seconds. She wasn't normal anymore. She stood in front of him and she could hear his heart beating and the veins pumping his blood. She couldn't help herself as she tore into his neck. She drained him dry and she dropped his body, then she felt excruciating pain in her jaw, and she felt enlarged canines push their way through her gums. She walked over to one of the mirrors hanging in the hall and she saw her face.

She gasped as her look. She had blood colored eyes and veins that protruded under her eyes and large canines. Not to mention the blood of the guard that covered her face. Her mind started to race though as she remembered things.

She remembered the carriage accident now. She had been hurt, dying, and Niklaus pulled her from the wreck and fed her his blood. It had healed her wounds. He had been the one to help her. She saw when his family fed on the guards and she realized that they weren't human. That were the same thing she was now. She suddenly realized how hurt she had been and worried for her son's life. She remembered how she had felt when she held him, like something dark was in him. Maybe there really was, because Niklaus had fixed her and her baby had probably unintentionally got the blood too.

She remembered him being her room a few nights ago and making her drink the vial. It was his blood in it. She was forced to; he must have known something was going to happen so he wanted her to be safe. It was somewhat sweet, but it didn't negate the fact that her bloodline was probably now polluted by whatever the hell he was.

Maybe he really was infatuated with her because why would he save her life? He barely knew her besides the times he had been at the palace. Then she thought back to his brother Kol's words, 'I think my brother fancies you.' She should have been grateful for such a gift, but she couldn't get over the fact that her bloodline could be tainted now.

Then her thoughts jumped to her son and how she would never see his sweet face again. She could never tell him she was alive, never be there for him. He would grow up without his mother. She started to cry slightly at the thought but she pushed back the tears as she made her way to the door. She opened it but was met with sunlight and she screeched in pain. She slammed the door and hide away from it.

So she couldn't be in the sunlight, that was good to know. She had to drink blood, which was disgusting to think about. The pieces all fell together in her head, she was a vampire. She scoffed as she realized how stupid it sounded but it was the only thing that fit. She was now an immortal spawn of the devil, that was just great. And to top it all off, she was now stuck at seventeen.

As night fell, she decided to venture out. She was in a small tavern in the darker side of town when a woman approached her, "A vampire in my town, the country is just going downhill."

Anastasia spun around and stared at the woman and the woman gasped, "Duchess Anastasia?"

Anastasia shushed her, "Don't say my name please. Call me Ana."

The woman asked, "You're a vampire?"

Anastasia nodded, "I don't really know how it happened. I just know I woke up like this and killed the soldiers that attacked my family."

The woman pulled her away from the tavern and down the street towards a house. Anastasia tried to walk in but hit an invisible field, "What is this?"

The woman laughed, "Vampires have to be invited into homes that have a permanent human resident. Come in Anastasia."

Anastasia stepped inside then and she stared at her, "How do you know all this?"

The woman smiled, "I'm a witch. My name is Clara." The woman pulled out a book and a bunch of supplies and Anastasia just stared in wonder. The woman said a bunch of words that Anastasia did not understand and then she handed her a small blue ring. Anastasia asked, "What is this?"

Clara responded, "A daylight ring. You can go outside in the sun as long as you have it on."

Anastasia smiled, "Thank you."

Clara smiled back, "Just don't harm anyone please."

Anastasia said, "I won't. I am going back to the palace and I won't leave it."

Clara nodded as she watched Anastasia leave.


	5. Watching Over the Family

Anastasia sat alone most of the time because she didn't know what else to do with herself. She was a vampire now and she couldn't go back from that. She decided that since she would inevitably live forever then she should do something with that lifetime. She would be the guardian for the family. She would stay close to her family, always watching, but never interfering. She needed that much at least. It's not the family would ever leave Russia, they were too proud for such a thing and she hoped that would remain true for a long time. She didn't want her family moving far away where she wouldn't be able to see them.

She wanted for a while before she ever went to see her son. She wanted to make sure she was alright before she did. She didn't ever want to be a danger to that precious child. Her thoughts frequently drifted to Niklaus and what he had done to her. She realized after a few years alone and as a vampire that she had loved him a bit. It was a moot point now though considering he had disappeared as quickly as he had come. She wondered where the hell he had gone so fast? And why he had run in the first place. What would a vampire really fear?

She became close friends with the witch Clara, who answered all of the questions that came to mind about what she was now. She was lost in this new world and if Clara hadn't have been there, it would have been much worse. Clara kept her calm and safe. She never harmed people because of her. She was the only friend she had.

As time passed, she felt that she was comfortable enough to leave the palace to see her family now. It had been twenty years and she decided to see Dimitri. She found him in a house on the outskirts of town. She stood in the shadows as she watched him. He looked so much like his father it was eerie. She could sense a strange feeling about him though too, which left her uneasy. He flicked his head up in her direction and she hid. She heard him say, "Katerina, get inside please." Anastasia saw his beautiful young wife that was almost as fair as she was. She saw him pull a stake for protection. As they all went inside, she walked towards the window. She heard the baby cries. She saw two small little cribs, they had two children. She sighed in sadness. Dimitri walked over to the cribs, "Nicolai and Aleksandr, I do not raise whiny children. Cease that this instant." He said it with a laugh and Anastasia felt the tears threatening to fall as she watched them. Her family line lived on. She watched them for a few days and on the full moon, she got a bad surprise. Her son turned into a wolf on the full moon. He would lock himself up so he wouldn't hurt his family. There was the day when he was dying though, and Anastasia wanted so desperately to be at her son's side but she couldn't. She watched him slowly die from his wound but he didn't stay dead. She could hear his bones crunching and changing and he screamed for his wife to leave to stay with their son, Nicolai. Anastasia saw him bleeding from the eyes and she couldn't stop herself from going to him. She leaned down beside him, "I am so sorry for the curse that has been laid upon you my sweet Dimitri." He looked up at her in pain, "Mother?" Anastasia nodded to him, "I'm so sorry for this. I love you my son." He grabbed her arm, "Stop the pain please, it hurts." She couldn't do it though and she ran like a coward.

She saw Nicolai marry a very pretty girl named Chloe. She was a blonde hair blue eyed dazzling creature. He had acquired the same traits as his father. He carried stakes around with him at all times. He was the same brown hair, brown eyes as his father as well. He was the older son of Dimitri. He had the same curse as well, he was a werewolf. It was without a doubt from the blood she had been fed, she didn't doubt it anymore. Niklaus had destroyed her bloodline, cursed them to this existence. There was no way to change what they were now. Nicolai had a bundle of joy in his arms and he spoke softly to him, "My darling boy, Sebastian. You will be everything we weren't. You will be the best." He walked back inside his house to put his son down. He had been killed by Katherine Pierce, a doppelganger that had been on the run from Niklaus. Her family had stayed true to her word and exhausted all efforts to seek out Niklaus so they could kill him. If one generation did not accomplish it, then they taught it to the next one. After Nicolai had been killed, the same thing happened to him as well, with the bleeding and she once again couldn't bring herself to approach him.

The other son, Aleksandr was the younger one and he had married a woman named Regina. She had long black hair and deep green eyes. She was different than all of them, but somehow the bloodline appearance never changed much. Aleksandr was lighter than his brother though, he had the same brown hair but he had green eyes. The poor boy had triggered his werewolf trait early and became a monster. It was how his wife had died. He felt immense guilt over it and he tried to kill himself. He didn't stay dead though and he came back. Anastasia watched in horror as the same thing happened again. What the hell was going on with them? It was almost as if they couldn't exist.

Sebastian had the same problem as all the others. He had triggered his gene, but he kept his family safe and away from him. He was the same appearance as the rest of the men. It was strange that the family line was continuously men as well. Sebastian had married a woman named Svetlana and she had darker features. Their child was a surprise to Anastasia because two people with such dark features should not have had such a fair complected child. They only had one child and for once a girl was born. Sebastian was a hunter like his father before him and they still desperately searched out Niklaus. She was grateful for such loyalty from a family she had never met.

Aleksi was the daughter of Sebastian and Svetlana. She was the fairest of them all (no pun intended). She had blonde hair and deep sapphire eyes. It was a strange thing because they were almost unearthly. She was a beautiful child though. Anastasia watched as Sebastian and Nicolai taught her how to fight. She was an amazingly bright child and she learned quickly. When she was ten though, Sebastian decided they had to move. He moved them all to the United States and that was the last she saw of her family. She saw Nicolai and Chloe accompany them as well and that had left her depressed more than usual. She kept thinking of Aleksi though and how she was her hope. Aleksi would be the one to find Niklaus; she would be the one to finally find out the truth, she would be the most powerful hunter the world had ever seen.

* * *

**Sequel is: You're Like Heroin. You will find it on my profile page.**


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